Garlic press with detachable cleaner

ABSTRACT

A manually operated, two lever arm type garlic press is provided which a detachably associated cleaning plate that is stored at the front end of the one of the lever arms (preferably, the first lever arm). The cleaning plate is provided with projections on its inner surface which are adopted to engage with apertures in the floor plate of the press chamber so as to clean debris from the apertures after usage of the garlic press. During storage, the projections extend forwardly from the associated lever arm. The cleaning plate is provided with opposing side clips and with top and bottom stabilizing legs that coact together and cooperate with side portions of the associated lever arm adjacent to the front end to hold the cleaning plate relative to that lever arm. Preferably, the top stabilizing leg also functions as a lock to retain the lever arms in a closed configuration during garlic press storage.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/144,844 filed Aug. 31, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,170, issued Aug.29, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to manually operated, lever-type garlic pressesthat are equipped with a press plate cleaner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Although manually operated garlic presses are useful and effective, theyare generally difficult to clean, which particularly involves theremoval of the compressed clove from the apertures in the floor plate ofthe press chamber. In routine use, these apertures tend to become filledwith the material from a garlic clove as it is squeezed in the presschamber between the floor plate and an anvil. The anvil compressivelydescends in the chamber towards the floor plate as the press levers aremanually squeezed together by the user so that fluid and paste from thecompressed clove can drain out through the floor plate apertures.

Attempts to flush out any remaining material from the apertures usingtap water pressure are usually ineffective. Moreover, surface brushingof the floor plate usually does not clear all of the material from theapertures.

Prior art garlic presses have proposed using a cleaning plate with aplurality of spaced, upstanding or projecting pins or projections. Theplurality of pins or projections would remove the remaining material ordebris from the press floor plate apertures. Various adaptations of thisconcept have been proposed. However, so far as is known, theseadaptations suffer from various drawbacks in that the resulting garlicpress, particularly in association with some form of cleaning plate,tends to be cumbersome and unwieldy, and awkward to use, clean, and/orstore.

The present invention provides an improved combination of a manuallyoperated lever-type garlic press, associated cleaning plate and mutualinterconnection means which reduces or overcomes these drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

More particularly, the invention relates to a new and useful combinationof manually operated garlic press and cleaning plate. The press hasupper and lower levers. The levers are pivotably associated at theirfront end regions. The lower lever also includes a cooperating cleaningplate at its front end region.

The combination provides a compact garlic press that is easily used,easily cleaned, and readily stored.

The inventive combination of lever type garlic press with cleaning plateprovides an improvement over prior art combinations of lever-type garlicpress with cleaning plate, and the inventive combination overcomes orminimizes the drawbacks of the prior art combinations.

In the inventive combination, the lower lever includes side walls and anapertured floor portion of a press chamber in its forward portion. Theforward portion is provided with a lateral, continuously extending andpreferably flattened exterior front end portion. Against this front endportion, the smooth outer, preferably matingly engagable, surface of acleaning plate rests when the cleaning plate is in its storage position.The cleaning plate is held in this position by connector members. Inthis storage position, the aperture cleaning pins (or projections) thatare provided on the opposed inner surface of the cleaning plate extendoutwardly.

Although various connector members can be used, it is preferred thecleaning plate be provided with opposed side clips that removably engagethe side portions of the lower lever adjacent to the front end portion.In addition, preferably the cleaning plate is provided with top andbottom stabilizer legs that are adapted to lie against adjacent frontend portions of the lower lever when the cleaning plate is engaged withthe lower lever front end.

When the cleaning plate is disengaged from the lower lever front end, itis turned around for positioning over the exterior press chamber floorportion. Preferably a locating flange is provided that is adjacent tothe top side of the cleaning plate. This flange serves to locate andposition the hooks over a matingly engagable forwardmost edge of thefloor portion along the bottom of the front end portion of the lowerlever. Preferably alignment lugs are also provided that engage locatinggrooves. When the cleaning plate inner surface is pivotally advancedagainst the outer surface of the floor plate, the pins of the cleaningplate are aligned with the apertures. The pins enter the apertures ofthe floor plate so that debris therein is pushed back into the presschamber for later disposition.

In the preferred embodiment the upper lever is associated with an anvil,in a pivotable manner. The anvil is adapted to reciprocatingly move inthe press chamber after the anvil enters the open top of the presschamber, as the upper lever reciprocates and advances towards orretreats from the lower lever.

Preferably, the top leg of the cleaning plate, alone or with the anviland press chamber, acts as a lock when the cleaning plate engages thelower leg front portion and/or the anvil engages the press chamber. Suchengagement generally tends to prevent the upper lever from separatingand pivotably moving away from the lower lever. This locking manner isdesirable for keeping the garlic press in a closed configuration in akitchen drawer or the like during storage of the garlic press.

Various other objects, aims, purposes, features, advantages,embodiments, variations and the like will be apparent to those skilledin the art from the teachings of the present specification taken withthe associated drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an perspective view of one embodiment of the inventive garlicpress;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the garlic press of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a left side elevational view (relative to FIG. 1) of thegarlic press of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a right side elevational view (relative to FIG. 1) of thegarlic press of FIG. 1 with the press cleaner in association with thegarlic press front end;

FIG. 5 is a front end elevational view (relative to FIG. 1) of thegarlic press of FIG. 1 depicting press cleaner in association therewith;

FIG. 6 is a front end elevational view similar to FIG. 5 with the presscleaner removed;

FIG. 7 is a back end elevational view (relative to FIG. 1) of the garlicpress of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the garlic press of FIG. 1 showing thepress cleaner in association with the garlic press front end;

FIG. 9 is a right side view similar to FIG. 4 with the press cleanerengaging the apertures in the press plate with portions of the garlicpress being shown in phantom;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view through the garlic press hopper withthe press cleaner engaging the press plate as shown in FIG. 9, someparts thereof being broken away;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary partial longitudinal sectional view of thefront end region of the garlic press as shown in FIG. 4 depicting thelocking feature for the press cleaner;

FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of the press cleaner; and

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the press cleaner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention discloses a combination of a manually operatedgarlic press and cleaning plate that is both functional andaesthetically pleasing. The present garlic presser is capable of easilyand readily compressing garlic cloves while the cleaning plate readilycleans and clears the apertures. Additionally, the cleaning plateincludes an alignment means to ensure proper alignment of the pins withthe apertures. Moreover, the present garlic press includes a lock toprovide effective storage. Each component has further functional andaesthetic features which permit it to accomplish its several goals andobjects.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many differentforms, this specification and the accompanying drawings disclose onlysome specific forms as examples of the invention. The invention is notlimited to the embodiments described however. The scope of the inventionis pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to FIGS. 1-13, there is seen a preferred embodiment of theinventive combination 20 of a garlic press, generally designated 21,with a press plate cleaner (or cleaner plate), generally designated 22.The garlic press 21 includes a first or lower lever arm 23 and a secondor upper lever arm 24. First lever arm 23 has a proximal end 26 and adistal end 27, while the second lever arm 24 has a proximal end 28 and adistal end 29. The proximal end 28 of second lever arm 24 includes aforwardly extending central leaf 31 that extends between a pair oflaterally spaced, forwardly extending edge leaves 32 that are providedat the upper proximal end 26 of second lever arm 24. Leaf 31 ispivotably connected between the pair of forwardly extending edge leaves32 by a laterally extending pivot pin 33 that extends through acontinuous channel in leaves 32 and 31.

A hand grip portion 34 and 36 is provided on each lever arm 23 and 24,adjacent to each of the distal ends 27 and 29. The first and secondlever arms 23 and 24 are each conveniently comprised of molded metal(preferred) or molded plastic. In one embodiment, first and second leverarms 23 and 24 are comprised of stainless steel. As an alternative tothe stainless steel, any known material typically used in themanufacture of cutlery, such as, for instance, aluminum, aluminumalloys, steel alloys, or other metals or alloys, may be used. Moreover,the concavely curved interior regions of each lever arm 23 and 24 arepreferably provided with reinforcing ribs 25.

The first lever arm 23 has an upwardly opening press chamber 37 definedtherein adjacent the proximal end 26 thereof (best seen in FIGS. 3 & 9).The press chamber 37 has a floor portion 38 that preferably has flat,spaced, parallel inner and outer surfaces. A plurality of apertures 39are defined through the floor portion 38 in a patterned array (best seenin FIG. 8).

The first lever arm 23 has a continuously extending front facial portion41 (best seen in FIG. 4) defined at the proximal end 26 below the leaves32. In the depicted embodiment the front facial portion 41 is flatalthough various surface configurations could be employed if desired.The top region of front facial portion 41 is forward of the lower regionthereof (that is the front facial portion is forwardly inclined).

Turning now to FIG. 2, the second lever arm 24 is shown having adownwardly depending anvil member 42 extending from an underside regionthereof that is adjacent to, but here spaced longitudinally from,proximal end 28. Various connection means can be used to connect theanvil member 42 with second lever arm 24. Alternatively the anvil member42 can be unitarily formed with the second lever arm 24, as thoseskilled in the art will readily appreciate.

Preferably, anvil member 42 is solid, separately molded componentcomprised of metal, such as for instance, stainless steel, aluminum,aluminum alloy, steel alloy, or other metals or alloys, and has abell-shaped configuration when viewed from the side. The upper end ofanvil member 42 is pivotably connected to the lower side of second leverarm 24 by means of a laterally extending pivot pin 43.

From FIG. 3 it can be seen that pin 43 extends through both an ear 44that is centrally located and integrally formed with the second leverarm 24 on the inside thereof and through a pair of ears 45 on the upperend of the anvil member 42 that are located on each side of the ear 44.The anvil member 42 is adapted to reciprocatingly move up and down inthe press chamber 37 when the lever arms 23 and 24 are articulatedrelative to one another about the pivot pin 33. The anvil member 42,owing to its pivotal adjustability about pivot pin 43 relative to secondlever arm 24, is, in effect self-adjusting in orientation relative topress chamber 37.

In operation, a garlic clove (not shown) in the press chamber 37 issqueezed between the head (or bottom) face of anvil member 42 and theinside face of the floor portion 38 when the arms 23 and 24 are manuallybrought together. Fluid is extruded from the clove which exits throughthe apertures 39.

Cleaner plate 22 is best understood be reviewing FIGS. 12 & 13. Thecleaner plate 22 has generally opposed inner and outer faces 46 and 47,respectively, that are preferably flat. Plate 22 has opposed sideportions 48 and 49, and opposed top end and bottom end portions 51 and52 respectively.

Inner face 46 is preferably adapted for interfacial contactingengagement with the outside surface of the floor portion 38. The innerface 46 is provided with a plurality of upstanding or projecting pins orprojections 53 that are ordered correspondingly to the 5 array ofapertures 39. In this manner each of the projections 53 can be insertedinto and engage a different one of the apertures 39 when the inner face46 engages the outside surface of the floor portion 38. Thus, debris inthe apertures 39 is displaced inwardly towards the press chamber 37 forsubsequent disposition.

The outer face 47 is preferably configured for interfacial engaging theregions of the front facial portion 41. While it is preferred that outerface 47 is flat, other configurations are contemplated. The perimeter ofthe cleaner plate 22 is provided with a preferably integrally formedclip member 54 and 56, respectively along each of the opposed sides 48and 49. Each clip member 54 and 56 has a lateral arcuate configurationand upstands or projects from each face 46 and 47.

Grasping and clamping the projecting portions of each clip member 54 and56 adjacent to the inner face 46 causes these projecting portions toyieldingly spread apart. Spreading the projecting portions of each clipmember 54 and 56 apart makes possible the convenient and easy engagementof these portions with respective adjacent side portions of the secondlever arm 24 that are adjacent to the front facial portion 41. Variousconnector means for releasably connecting the press plate cleaner 22 tothe front facial portion 41 can be employed, and various clipconfigurations and arrangements can be employed, as those skilled in theart will readily appreciate.

FIGS. 9 & 10 reveal a stabilizing leg 57 at, and preferably integralwith, the top end 51, and a stabilizing leg 58 at, and preferablyintegral with, the bottom end 52. Stabilizing legs 57 and 58 of pressplate cleaner 22 coact with the clip members 54 and 56 and aid instabilizing the connection between plate cleaner 22 and front facialportion 41. As depicted, the stabilizing leg 58 is relatively narrow andelongated and is configured to engage and extend across a mid-portion ofthe outer face of the floor portion 38.

The stabilizing leg 57 is shorter here than leg 58 and is provided witha fixed medial bend or knee 59 defining an upper or thigh portion 67 anda lower leg portion 68. The thigh portion 67 has an upper regionengaging a lower side portion of the second lever arm 24 that isadjacent to the proximal end 28 thereof (best seen in FIG. 4). The outerheel or foot region of leg portion 68 rests against an upper interiorside portion of the first lever arm 23 in spaced, adjacent relationshipto the proximal end 26 thereof.

An adjacent upwardly projecting (reactive to leg 57) portion of platecleaner 22 is here preferably adapted to make contacting engagement onone face thereof with the proximal end 28 of second lever arm 24. Theresult is that the plate 22 and the leg 56 function to lock the arms 23and 24 when plate 22 is associated with front facial portion 41, and torestrain pivotal movements thereof.

The press plate cleaner 22 is additionally provided with a locatingflange 61 positioned along the top end 51 of plate cleaner 22 and whichupstand or projects here perpendicularly from inner face 46. Flange 61thus projects oppositely from the clips 54 and 56 and the legs 57 and58. In second lever arm 24, the outer face of the floor portion 38 andthe front facial portion 41 preferably adjoin and define a generallystraight corner edge 62. When the inner face 46 of the cleaning plate 22engages the outside surface of the floor portion 38 after separation ofthe cleaning plate 22 from the front facial portion 41, the locatingflange 61 is positionable along the corner edge 62 and orients andpositions the cleaning plate relative to the floor portion 38.

To improve the locating and seating of the press plate cleaner 22against the outside face of the floor portion 38, the front facialportion 41 is preferably provided with a pair laterally spaced,traversely elongated grooves 63 and 64 that are located adjacent to thecorner edge 62. The inner face 46 adjacent to flange 61 is provided witha pair of detents or lugs 66. Each lug 66 is configured to matinglyengage a different one of the grooves 63 and 64. The engaged combinationof grooves 63 and 64, detents 66, flange 61 and corner edge 62 cooperateto provide flange means that aligns the pins 53 with the apertures 39.

If desired, portions of the garlic press 21, such as the arms 23 and 24,and even the press plate cleaner 22, can be coated. Non-adhering coatingsuch as polytetrafluoroethylene or the like are contemplated, usingcoating procedures known in the art.

Use of the Garlic Press and the Press Plate Cleaner

It will be appreciated that in using the garlic press 21, the pressplate cleaner 22 should be separated therefrom. Grasping and clampingthe projecting portions of each clip member 54 and 56 adjacent to theouter face 47 causes these projecting portions to spread apart.Spreading the projecting portions apart makes possible the convenientand easy disengagement of these portions with the second lever arm 24.

In pressing operation, a garlic clove (not shown) is placed in the presschamber 37. The garlic clove is squeezed between the head (or bottom)face of anvil member 42 and the inside face of the floor portion 38 whenthe arms 23 and 24 are manually brought together. Fluid is extruded fromthe clove which exits through the apertures 39.

In cleaning operation, grasping and clamping the projecting portions ofeach clip member 54 and 56 adjacent to the inner face 46 causes theprojecting portions to spread apart. Spreading the projecting portionsapart makes possible the convenient and easy engagement of theseportions with the second lever arm 24.

Inner face 46 engages the outside surface of the floor portion 38 sothat the plurality of upstanding pins or projections 53 are orderedcorrespondingly to the array of apertures 39. In this manner each of theprojections 53 can be inserted into and engage a different one of theapertures 39. Further, the engaged combination of grooves 63 and 64,detents 66, flange 61 and corner edge 62 cooperate to provide flangemeans that aligns the pins 53 with the apertures 39. Thus, debris in theapertures 39 is displaced inwardly towards the press chamber 37 forsubsequent disposition.

By virtue of the present invention, the described objectives are met.The present invention discloses a combination 20 garlic press 21 andpress plate cleaner 22 that is both functional and aestheticallypleasing. The combination provides a compact garlic press 21 that iseasily used, easily cleaned, and readily stored.

The foregoing illustrates the general principles of this invention.However, since numerous modifications and changes will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art based on this description, it isnot desired to limit the invention to the exact construction andoperation shown and described. Accordingly, the scope of this inventionincludes other modifications and equivalents that fall within the scopeof the foregoing description and the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cleaning plate for a manually operated,lever-type garlic press of the type having pivotally connected first andsecond lever arms, the first lever arm defining a press chamber having afloor portion defining a plurality of apertures therethrough, and thefirst lever arm having a front facial portion, the second arm having ananvil member that moves in the press chamber when the first and secondlever arms are pivotally articulated, such that a garlic clove in thepress chamber is squeezable between the anvil and the floor portion sothat fluid is extrudable from the clove through the apertures, thecleaning plate comprising: generally opposed inner and outer faces, theinner face being configured to engage the floor portion and having aplurality of upstanding pins defined thereon and ordered for individualassociation with respective ones of the apertures when the inner faceengages the floor portion, whereby debris in the apertures is therebydisplaced; and the outer face configured for engaging the front facialportion.
 2. The cleaning plate of claim 1 wherein the inner face isconfigured to engage an outside surface region of the floor portion. 3.The cleaning plate of claim 2 further including opposed side portionsand opposed top and bottom portions.
 4. The cleaning plate of claim 3further including the opposed side portions each having a projectingclip and the top and bottom end portions each having a projecting legmember, whereby, when the outer face engages the front facial portion,each one of the clips is adapted for association with a differentopposing side portion of the first lever arm adjacent to the frontfacial portion, each of the bottom end portion leg members contacts thefloor portion, and each of the top end portion leg members contacts atop portion of the first lever arm.
 5. The cleaning plate of claim 4further including a locating flange adjacent to the top end portion andwhich projects upwards relative to the inner face, whereby when thecleaning plate engages the floor portion, the locating flange orientsthe cleaning plate relative to the floor portion.
 6. The cleaning plateof claim 5 wherein the locating flange includes at least one lug whichcooperatively engages at least one groove.
 7. The cleaning plate ofclaim 6 wherein the top end portion leg member additionally adjoins thesecond lever arm whereby the first and second lever arms are restrainedfrom pivotably separating when the cleaning plate engages the frontfacial portion.
 8. The cleaning plate of claim 7 wherein the outsidesurface region of the floor portion, the front facial portion, and theinner and outer faces of the cleaning plate are flattened.